


Watching

by Han502653



Series: A Hunter Family [2]
Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Gen, M/M, Morel has no idea what he's doing, Pre-Slash, and Knov is just watching and feeling warm like a dork, but he's actually doing pretty okay, he's also super light sensitive which is why he wears sunglasses 24/7, kid-Shoot, probally, who knows with these two
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-16
Updated: 2018-06-16
Packaged: 2019-05-24 06:42:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14949578
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Han502653/pseuds/Han502653
Summary: Morel picks up a student. Knov isn’t so sure he can handle it.





	Watching

It took a few months before Knov actually got to meet the kid. That, if nothing else, showed Morel’s devotion to the idea. He hadn’t been on a boat since that last mission, instead sticking around the hospital the kid was recovering in. It had been _years_ since Morel had spent more than a month on land.

Even so, with all the gossip Morel had shared, Knov felt like he knew the kid. That was also new. Morel really wasn’t one for gossip.

He still wasn’t convinced this was a good idea though. Morel was twenty-three and knew basically nothing about children, let alone how to handle a traumatized, recently one-handed, eleven year old. No matter how much Morel defended that he was just his student, he still was going to have to do all the parenting—since the boy’s parents had seen fit to throw him to the wolves.

Morel had always been too softhearted for his own good, not that Knov didn’t think the boy deserved the best care. He just rather thought Morel’s care was far from that.

This entire thing was frankly extraordinarily rash, even for Morel.

Still, the kid was out of the hospital and he was between jobs, so he’d taken Morel’s offer to come over and meet him.

Maybe once the kid was asleep they’d get that drink Morel owed him.

 

The boy was sitting on the sofa and seemed to be trying to hide under a blanket when Morel let him in. Morel seemed to ignore that as he walked back over to where Knov assumed he’d been sitting before, right next to Shoot. On the table in front of them was a laptop. “We were just looking to see what kind of wardrobe Shoot would like, right Shoot?”

The boy nodded slightly from where he was hidden under blanket and hair.

“Do you mind looking around on your own while I talk with Knov?” he asked next. The boy shook his head and Morel gave him a thumbs up before walking back to Knov who raised an eyebrow. Morel just grinned at him before leading him into the kitchen.

“He’s kind of… skittish right now,” Morel explained as he put on a kettle and grabbed two beers from the fridge. “Figured indirectly introducing you two and letting him get used to your presence might be the way to go.” For a second he looked uncertain—another rarity, Knov knew Morel well enough to know he got uncertain just like everyone else, but he rarely if ever let emotions like that show.

“You’re looking for clothes?”

Morel shrugged as he popped open one of the beers and took a big gulp. “He literally has nothing except the little I got him while he was in the hospital—getting whatever he had from his… house would mean getting his parents into court since they won’t give it up… and I can’t do that to the kid, I think it might break him.”

Knov glanced back towards the doorway that led to the sitting room. “Are you sure he can make it as a Hunter?”

Morel snorted. “Give him time. He managed to awaken his Nen and conjure up a physical hand to save his life within minutes. He’s a lot more than he seems.” It wasn’t the first time he’d been told that. Morel had bragged about his student’s ability with Nen for months now. Not only his first use of it, but how quickly he was grasping the basics. Apparently, and perhaps not surprisingly, he was very good at Zetsu.

Knov hummed as he took a sip himself. “What about paperwork.”

“That was easy enough. To legally abandon a kid over three months old at that hospital they had to fill out paperwork and hand that stuff over—So through the government I could get his birth certificate, medical and school records, and he was given a new social security number so at least they can’t mess up his credit.”

Knov hummed again as Morel stood up and began pulling pot and pans out. He hadn’t expected a home cooked meal when he came over, but he wasn’t going to complain. If nothing else Morel was a good cook.

“How’s he taking it?”

“Taking what?”

“His arm, his parents?”

Morel was quiet for a moment as he chopped an onion. “Would you believe me if I said better than most would?”

Knov raised an eyebrow.

“His anxiety… I think that’s more from… before, and well, also perhaps just… innate.”

“Is that so?”

“Just a feeling, at least with his parents… I think he’s more _relieved_ than anything…”

Knov frowned and pushed his glasses up. He didn’t like the sound of that, Morel had only shared so much about his new charge, respecting his privacy, but he could connect the dots.

It didn’t make him feel all that more convinced about Morel taking him in though.

 

They talked shop for the rest of the half-hour or so it took for Morel to finish dinner. Knov attempted to help set the table only to get waved away off as usual. He rolled his eyes but sat back down.

“I got it, I got it. Hey, Shoot, dinner!”

It took a moment but the boy appeared obediently and hovered at the doorway to the kitchen. Knov watched him from the corner of his eye. He was nervous, his eyes flickering everywhere but also avoiding landing anywhere near Knov’s own. He was also attempting to fidget with the bottom of his shirt while holding the laptop and managing better than Knov would have expected. He was dressed in some soft pajamas with short sleeves and because of that Knov could just see the metal cuff that protected his stump.

He averted his eyes from there, no reason to be rude.

“Find anything you like?” Morel asked as he set down the last dish and waved him over. Shoot hesitated, but dutifully joined them. Knov had sat himself at the head of the table, and with some interest he noticed Morel had sat himself next to him instead of across as he usually did. Shoot could use his bulk to hide from him if he wanted.

Shoot took that seat to no surprise. Morel had expected him too he also noted, as the tea he’d made had been placed at that spot.

Shoot nodded shyly.

“Alright, set it up, plenty of room on the table.” Shoot glanced over at Knov and then back at him before setting the laptop down. Morel noticed and waved it off.

“Eh, don’t mind him, he can wait a little.”

Knov snorted but didn’t refute that as he opened his second beer.

Shyly Shoot opened the laptop and typed in the password. What popped up surprised Knov a little—it was rather traditional for a city boy.

“You like purple, huh?” was all Morel said as he reached out and tugged lightly on the boy’s shoulder length hair. Again to Knov’s surprise the boy didn’t flinch away like he’d been expecting but instead smiled slightly as he nodded his head.

“Which reminds me,” Morel continued tugging again. “You want to get this cut?”

The smile disappeared and he looked away but managed a small shake.

“What, you think I’m going to judge?” Morel laughed as he tugged his own shoulder length and prematurely greying hair. “I’m a lot of things but not a hypocrite.”

The small smile returned even as Shoot refused to look over at Morel. Morel seemed happy enough.

“Alright, I don’t know about a whole wardrobe of this stuff, but sure you can get some. We’ll see how it works. Now get eating, your still to scrawny.”

Knov watched all of this—watched and for a moment wasn’t so uncertain anymore.

…

And maybe a little warm as well.

 

After dinner the boy disappeared into the rest of the house, his room probably, and Morel and he relaxed in the sitting room catching up on recent missions as best their various contracts allowed.

It was nice. It had been awhile since the last time they’d been able to meet up in person. It usually was with Morel away at sea more often than not—and when he wasn’t didn’t always correspond to a time when Knov was free.

He’d missed his friend. And considering how much Morel had called him and how he’d invited him over as soon as he was free made him think Morel had missed him too.

At least he liked to think so.

He was just opening a forth beer when Morel paused to look at the clock, and then held out one finger. “Bed kid!” he called out. There was no response but a minute later Knov heard the boy’s bathroom sink turn on.

He was kind of impressed. He hadn’t though Morel would _think_ of a bedtime.

They continued on for about another hour before the first whimper caused both of them to freeze. Knov frowned as another one followed it but Morel just looked tired and grim.

“I’ll be right back,” Morel said as he stood and padded toward the boy’s room. Knov watched him go for a moment before activating his Zetsu and following.

He found Morel crouched by the side of the boy’s bed. He had his Zetsu up as well, but not fully, just enough to make him feel more insignificant, to make up for his big bulk. “Shoot, c’mon, kid, wake up,” he called out but didn’t touch him.

The boy woke with a start and burst up only to keel forward and grasp at his stub. Morel finally reached out only to lightly place his hand on his back. To Knov’s surprise the boy leaned towards him.

“Have you taken any pain pills tonight?”

The boy shook his head and Morel got up and headed to the door that led to the adjourning bathroom. Knov took one last look, watched the boy pick up a small stuffed dog and hug it and then left.

 

Morel didn’t return for almost an hour but Knov couldn’t bring himself to mind. When he did he trudged back in and collapsed back onto the couch.

“Sorry,” he explained. “Phantom pains.”

Knov hummed in response and just watched him. He knew that Morel knew he followed—he would notice the sudden lack of Knov in the apartment after all, but neither of them said anything for a long moment.

Morel almost went to his beer again, only to stop. Instead he pinched his nose and let out a long stuttering sigh before, to Knov’s amazement, removing his glasses and falling back, resting his forearm over his eyes instead.

“I don’t know what I’m doing,” Morel muttered from under his arm.

Knov almost automatically agreed but then stopped. Instead he looked back over the past night and everything he’d seen, and then back at the tired, stressed, and to-caring man before him.

His chest felt warm… and maybe his cheeks too.

He leaned over and clicked off the lamp next to the couch to hopefully spare Morel’s eyes. “You’re not perfect,” he started. Morel grunted. “But I think you’re doing pretty well.”


End file.
